Many religions participate in the practice of fasting as a means of showing their sincerity and commitment to their god.
So, where does fasting fit into our Christian faith?
Christ came to earth to set us free from the law.
Our faith is all about freedom.
But here is the thing. The bible does not say that fasting is a requirement. Rather, it says that it is highly recommended.
Why? Because when we fast, we bring our petitions before God and our faith in believing that He will see our hearts and hear our prayers and work things out according to His purpose and plan.
Fasting takes us to a deeper place with God because we come before Him with a vulnerable heart and we trust that He is for us, not against us.
Christian fasting is not a “work” that’s commanded by Christ, but it is a practice that enhances our spiritual growth.
Although Christian fasting is mostly focused on the omission of some or all food for a certain period, there are actually many different ways in which we can fast. The purpose is to take our eyes off the things of this world and instead focus on God.
So, we can choose to fast food or sport or TV or reading or alcohol or anything else that will be hard for us to abstain from.
The main thing is that we deny ourselves something, in order to demonstrate to God and to ourselves, that we are serious about our relationship with Him.
Fasting should be limited to a set time, especially if we are fasting from food. And it should not to be thought of as a way of punishing our bodies but rather as a way of focusing on God.
I don’t often think to fast but rather every time I do fast, I feel that it is completely prompted by God. My recent fast was prompted when I stumbled across an old blog post about the Daniel Fast. I had not been thinking about fasting at all, but I was in a place in my life where I really needed answers from God and I needed to miracle from God! And when I read my account of my previous fast, I realized that God was calling me into that space again. To trust in Him … to depend on Him … to cry out to Him.
My desire was to go into that place where I feel so close to Him. Where I feel so confident in His love and His plans for my life.
But this time around, I found it really, really hard! It was not a euphoric moment for me. I chose to do ten days again, just as I had the first time, but this time my life was so busy and I felt constantly fatigued. Even that is an understatement. I felt desperately low, completely energy-less and actually, not spiritual at all – in an emotional sense.
But I do believe that God knows our hearts and He sees our desire to pull him right into the midst of the situation where we desire His intervention. And in spite of my emotions – or lack thereof – I definitely had an underlying sense of confidence. That God sees what I am doing and He will intervene because of His great love for me.
Things may not work out exactly as I plan, but they will work out exactly as God plans. And that is where I place my confidence.
So fasting is not an airy fairy walk in the park. It is not a wonderfully euphoric experience. It is rather a physical act of showing God how serious we are about our journey with Him. It’s about sharing with Him our great desires and showing Him that above that, we trust Him to work out His purpose and plan for our lives.
Fasting truly is a spiritually enriching experience.
Be encouraged to fast according to your faith and your circumstances. You don’t have to give it all up. Just give up what you feel prompted to give up. And God will do the rest.
It’s not about how much you give up, but rather about the heart in which you do it.